Whether you love missions or want to know how to make missions a more significant part of your life, The Call, published by World Gospel Mission, is a resource that encourages you to be active in the missions fields God places on your heart.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Positive Relationships

Positive
Relationships

The key to partnerships in ministry

Larry
Overholt, Missionary, Honduras

Partnerships allow us to accomplish more
than would be possible if we were working independently of each other. The Teacher
in Ecclesiastes gives wise advice on the value of collaborating with others: “Two
are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor...” (Ecclesiastes
4:9 NIV) and “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes
4:12b NIV).

A good partnership improves over time when
built on positive relationships. Any successful partnership in missions depends
first on our right relationship with God. Most importantly, we must realize
that “we are co-workers in God’s
service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Our
primary partnership is when we seek to do God’s will and not our own. All other
partnerships depend on our love of God and our willingness to serve Him.

Looking back over our decades of missionary
experience, many things have happened due to successful partnerships. Projects
were developed, churches built, and relationships healed. All have depended on
many people working together, forming lasting partnerships.

Work teams are an invaluable partnership
to the ministry on the field. Team members contribute to building relationships
in the communities where they come to help. The local nationals feel a deeper
relationship with others and an increased partnership in the ministry when they
have the opportunity to work alongside those who come on work teams. We have
experienced that with church groups, university groups, and individuals who
come to work with us.

The most obvious essential partnership is what
takes place between missionaries and our support teams. Those partnerships
require that both the missionary and donor be obedient to God’s calling for
them to serve Him. Missionaries and their support team partnerships involve
much more than economic support. Missionaries depend on prayer support. Both missionary
and donor share in the joy of the harvest.

Partnerships with co-workers are an
important part of working on the mission field. One of the most satisfying accomplishments
as a missionary is to arrive at the point where both the missionary and
national feel they are equal partners on the team.

Partnerships with universities and
university students are necessary if we expect to carry the missionary momentum
into the next generation. The university students often provide innovative
suggestions and information that help us do our jobs better. They are also our
best source for future missionaries.

A partnership that sometimes goes underappreciated
is the vital partnership between missionaries on the field and those working in
the home office, doing so many things that we are unable to list them all.

As missionaries, we are grateful for each
partnership of which we have been a part.

Missions
is not a solo job. Larry points out several partnerships you can take part in.
Inspired from a few options in this article, pick one of the following ways to
partner with Larry and Angie Overholt serving in Choluteca, Honduras:

1.GO—for
a week or two and serve with the Overholts and the nationals in Honduras. Join
a team at www.wgm.org/teams.

2.GIVE—a
financial gift to help fund the ministry of Larry and Angie Overholt. Give
online at www.wgm.org/overholt.

3.PRAY—for
the WGM missionary staff and nationals as they work alongside each other. Pray
that God will grant them wisdom, clear communication as they work together, and
a love for each other that comes from a right relationship with God.

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